Managing emergency communication session termination

ABSTRACT

Systems, methods, and devices for managing termination of an active communication session in a wireless communication device. A processor of the wireless communication device may receive an instruction to terminate a communication session. The processor may determine whether an emergency communication status of the wireless communication device indicates that the communication session should not be terminated. The processor may block the instruction to terminate the communication session in response to determining that the emergency communication status indicates that the communication session comprises an emergency communication session.

BACKGROUND

Wireless communication devices may be used to place an emergency call,for example to a public safety answering point (PSAP) or to an emergencyservices responder (e.g., police or fire department). Due to the natureof emergency calls, it is vitally important that the wirelesscommunication device remain powered on and able to provide communicationservices. However, an emergency call may be unintentionally terminated,or the wireless communication device may unintentionally be powered offby, for example, a buggy application or malfunctioning hardware. It isthus vitally important to prevent a wireless communication device frombeing unintentionally powered off or an emergency call from beingunintentionally terminated.

SUMMARY

Systems, methods, and devices of various embodiments enable a wirelesscommunication device to manage termination of an active communicationsession to prevent certain important sessions from being terminated.Various embodiments may include receiving an instruction to terminate acommunication session, determining whether a communication session is inprogress that should not be terminated, and blocking the instruction toterminate the communication session in response to determining that anemergency communication status indicates that the communication sessionincludes an emergency communication session. Some embodiments mayfurther include determining whether an emergency communication is inprocess, and storing an emergency communication status indicating thatthe communication session should not be terminated in response todetermining that an emergency communication session is in process,wherein determining whether a communication session is in progress thatshould not be terminated may include determining whether an emergencycommunication status of the wireless communication device indicates thatthe communication session should not be terminated.

Some embodiments may further include determining when the communicationsession has ended, and updating the emergency communication status inthe memory. Some embodiments may further include permitting theinstruction to terminate the communication session in response todetermining that the emergency communication status of the wirelessdevice indicates that the communication session may be terminated. Insome embodiments, the instruction to terminate the communication sessionmay include an instruction to power down the wireless communicationdevice. In some embodiments, blocking the instruction to terminate thecommunication session may include blocking the instruction to power downthe wireless communication device.

Some embodiments may further include updating the emergencycommunication status in memory in response to the communication sessionending, determining whether the instruction to terminate thecommunication session is still valid, continuing normal operations ofthe wireless communication device in response to determining that theinstruction to power down the wireless communication device is not stillvalid, and permitting the instruction to power down the wirelesscommunication device in response to determining that the instruction topower down the wireless communication device is still valid. In someembodiments, the instruction to terminate the communication session mayinclude an instruction to deactivate a radio of the wirelesscommunication device. In some embodiments, blocking the instruction toterminate the communication session may include blocking the instructionto deactivate the radio of the wireless communication device.

Some embodiments may further include updating the emergencycommunication status in the memory in response to the communicationsession ending, determining whether the instruction to deactivate theradio is still valid, continuing normal operations of the wirelesscommunication device in response to determining that the instruction todeactivate the radio is not still valid, and permitting the instructionto deactivate the radio of the wireless communication device in responseto determining that the instruction to deactivate the radio is stillvalid.

Various embodiments may include a wireless communication deviceincluding a processor configured with processor-executable instructionsto perform operations of the embodiment methods described above. Variousembodiments may include a non-transitory processor-readable storagemedium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructionsconfigured to cause a processor to perform operations of the embodimentmethods described above. Various embodiments may include a wirelesscommunication device that includes means for performing functions of theoperations of the embodiment methods described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitutepart of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments. Togetherwith the general description given above and the detailed descriptiongiven below, the drawings serve to explain features of the variousembodiments, and not to limit the various embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a component block diagram illustrating a communication systemsuitable for use with the various embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a component block diagram of a wireless communication deviceaccording to various embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a call flow diagram illustrating conventional termination ofan emergency communication session.

FIG. 4 is a call flow diagram illustrating an embodiment method ofmanaging termination of an active communication session in a wirelesscommunication device.

FIG. 5 is a process flow diagram illustrating an embodiment method ofmanaging termination of an active communication session in a wirelesscommunication device.

FIG. 6 is a process flow diagram illustrating another embodiment methodof managing termination of an active communication session in a wirelesscommunication device.

FIG. 7 is a process flow diagram illustrating another embodiment methodof managing termination of an active communication session in a wirelesscommunication device.

FIG. 8 is a component block diagram of an example mobile device suitablefor use with the various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numberswill be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.References made to particular examples and implementations are forillustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of theclaims.

The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example,instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as“exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other implementations.

The terms “communication device” and “wireless communication device” areused interchangeably herein to refer generally to any one or all ofcellular telephones, smart phones, tablet computers, Internet enabledcellular telephones, Wi-Fi enabled electronic devices, personal dataassistants (PDAs), laptop computers, personal computers, wirelessaccessory devices, wireless peripheral devices, and similar electronicdevices equipped with a short-range radio (e.g., a Bluetooth® radio, aPeanut® radio, a Wi-Fi radio, etc.) and/or a wide area networkconnection (e.g., an LTE, 3G, 4G, or 5G wireless wide area networktransceiver or a wired connection to the Internet). Thus, reference to aparticular type of computing device as being a communication device or amobile communication device is not intended to limit the scope of theclaims unless a particular type of mobile device or mobile communicationdevice is specifically recited.

Different cellular and mobile communication services and standards areavailable or contemplated in the future, all of which may implement andbenefit from the various embodiments. Such services and standardsinclude, e.g., Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long TermEvolution (LTE) systems, third generation wireless mobile communicationtechnology (3G), fourth generation wireless mobile communicationtechnology (4G), fifth generation wireless mobile communicationtechnology (5G), Global System For Mobile Communications (GSM),Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), 3GSM, General PacketRadio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems(e.g., cdmaOne), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM evolution (EDGE), AdvancedMobile Phone System (AMPS), digital AMPS (IS-136/TDMA), Evolution-DataOptimized (EV-DO), Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT),Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Wireless LocalArea Network (WLAN), Wi-Fi Protected Access I & II (WPA, WPA2), andIntegrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN). Each of these technologiesinvolves, for example, the transmission and reception of voice, data,signaling, and/or content messages. Any references to terminology and/ortechnical details related to an individual telecommunication standard ortechnology are for illustrative purposes only, and are not intended tolimit the scope of the claims to a particular communication system ortechnology unless specifically recited in the claim language.

The various embodiments provide methods and communication systems toenable a wireless communication device to manage whether an activeemergency communication session is terminated. Typical wirelesscommunication devices may be used to place an emergency call, forexample to a PSAP or to another emergency services provider or firstresponder. In the event of an emergency call, it is of great importancethat the wireless communication device remain powered on and able toprovide emergency communication services. However, there could becircumstances in which an emergency call may be unintentionallyterminated or the device powered down against the will of the user. Forexample, a wireless communication device's “airplane mode” may beunintentionally triggered by, for example, malfunctioning hardware or bya fault in an application running on the wireless communication device.Placing a wireless communication device in airplane mode powers off orotherwise prevents access to a radio of the wireless communicationdevice. Powering down the radio will terminate any active communicationsession. As another example, a wireless communication device may beunintentionally powered off by, for example, due to an operator mistake,jostling of the device, or a fault in hardware or software of thewireless communication device. Given the possible consequences fromunintentionally terminating an emergency communication session, it isthus beneficial to prevent a mobile communication device (or its radio)from being unintentionally powered off or placed in an operating modethat will terminate an emergency call.

Various embodiments provide methods implemented by a processor executingon a wireless communication device to manage termination of an activecommunication session in a wireless communication device to avoidterminating an ongoing emergence communication session. In variousembodiments, a processor of the wireless communication device mayreceive an instruction that will terminate an active communicationsession, such as a user input to power down or place the device inairplane mode. The processor of the wireless communication device maydetermine whether an emergency communication is underway, which mayindicate that the communication session should not be terminated. Theprocessor of the wireless device may block the instruction to terminatethe active communication session in response to determining that anactive emergency communication session is underway. Once that emergencycommunication session ends, the wireless communication device may returnto a normal mode or execute the previously entered user input power downor deactivate the radio.

FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 suitable for use with the variousembodiments. The system 100 may include wireless communication devices102 and 104, base stations 106 and 108, a communication network 110, acontroller node 112, and a PSAP 114.

Wireless communication devices 102 and 104 may communicate with thecommunication network 110 via the base stations 106 and 108,respectively, over communication links 116 and 118, respectively. Thecommunication links 116 and 118 may include cellular connections thatmay be made through two-way wireless communication links using awireless radio access technology (RAT) such as LTE, WiMAX, CDMA, TDMA,Wideband CDMA, GSM, and other mobile telephony communicationtechnologies. A communication link may include one or more frequencybands, and a frequency band may include one or more logical channels.While the communication links 116 and 118 are illustrated as singlelinks, in some embodiments the mobile communication devices maycommunicate with their respective base stations using two or more RATsover two or more frequency bands.

The base stations 106 and 108 may communicate with the communicationnetwork 110 over wired and/or wireless communication links 120 and 122.Each of the base stations 106 and 108 may include a network node capableof providing wireless communications to the mobile communication devices102 and 104, and may include a base transceiver station, a radio basestation, an eNodeB device, or an enhanced eNodeB device. Thecommunication links 120 and 122 may include wired or wirelesscommunication links such as fiber optic backhaul links, microwavebackhaul links, and other similar communication links.

The controller node 112 may communicate with the communication network110 over a communication link 124. The controller node 112 may controlthe setup and maintenance of a communication session over thecommunication network 110, such as between a wireless communicationdevice 102 or 104 and the PSAP 114, or among communication devices suchas the wireless communication devices 102 and 104. The controller node112 may include a mobile switching center (MSC), a mobility managemententity (MME), or another similar network node. For dispatchcommunications, the controller node 112 may utilize a dispatchcommunications protocol such as iDEN (Integrated Digital EnhancedNetwork), or QChat.

The PSAP 114 may communicate with the communication network 110 over acommunication link 126. The PSAP 114 may include a server or othernetwork element that may be configured to provide emergencycommunication services. Examples of the PSAP 114 may include anemergency services answering point (e.g., 911 services in the U.S.), apolice department or dispatcher, a fire department or dispatcher, oranother provider of emergency services or first responder services.

FIG. 2 is a component block diagram of a wireless communication device200 suitable for implementing various embodiments. In variousembodiments, the wireless communication device 200 may be similar to thewireless communication devices 102 and 104 as described with referenceto FIG. 1. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the wireless communicationdevice 200 may include a first SIM interface 202 a, which may receive afirst identity module SIM-1 204 a that is associated with a firstsubscription. The wireless communication device 200 may optionally alsoinclude a second SIM interface 202 b, which may receive a secondidentity module SIM-2 204 b that is associated with a secondsubscription.

A SIM in various embodiments may be a Universal Integrated Circuit Card(UICC) that is configured with SIM and/or USIM (Universal SubscriberIdentity Module) applications, enabling access to, for example, GSMand/or UMTS networks. The UICC may also provide storage for a phone bookand other applications. Alternatively, in a CDMA network, a SIM may be aUICC removable user identity module (R-UIM) or a CDMA subscriberidentity module (CSIM) on a card. Each SIM card may have a CPU, ROM,RAM, EEPROM and I/O circuits. A SIM used in various embodiments maycontain user account information, an international mobile subscriberidentity (IMSI), a set of SIM application toolkit (SAT) commands andstorage space for phone book contacts. A SIM card may further store aHome-Public-Land-Mobile-Network (HPLMN) code to indicate the SIM cardnetwork operator provider. An Integrated Circuit Card Identity (ICCID)SIM serial number may be printed on the SIM card for identification.

The wireless communication device 200 may include at least onecontroller, such as a general purpose processor 206, which may becoupled to a coder/decoder (CODEC) 208. The CODEC 208 may in turn becoupled to a speaker 210 and a microphone 212. The general purposeprocessor 206 may also be coupled to at least one memory 214. The memory214 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that storesprocessor-executable instructions. The memory 214 may store an operatingsystem (OS), as well as user application software and executableinstructions. The memory 214 may also store application data, such as anarray data structure.

The general purpose processor 206 may be coupled to a modem 230. Themodem 230 may include at least one baseband modem processor 216, whichmay be coupled to a memory 222 and a modulator/demodulator 228. Thebaseband modem processor 216 may include physically or logicallyseparate baseband modem processors (e.g., BB1, BB2). Themodulator/demodulator 228 may receive data from the baseband modemprocessor 216 and may modulate a carrier signal with encoded data andprovide the modulated signal to one or more RF resources 218 a, 218 bfor transmission. The modulator/demodulator 228 may also extract aninformation-bearing signal from a modulated carrier wave received fromthe one or more RF resources 218 a, 218 b, and may provide thedemodulated signal to the baseband modem processor 216. Themodulator/demodulator 228 may be or include a digital signal processor(DSP).

The baseband modem processor 216 may read and write information to andfrom the memory 222. The memory 222 may also store instructionsassociated with a protocol stack, such as protocol stack S1 222 a andprotocol stack S2 222 b. The protocol stacks S1 222 a, S2 222 bgenerally include computer executable instructions to enablecommunication using a radio access protocol or communication protocol.Each protocol stack S1 222 a, S2 222 b typically includes networkprotocol layers structured hierarchically to provide networkingcapabilities. The modem 230 may include one or more of the protocolstacks S1 222 a, S2 222 b to enable communication using one or moreRATs. The protocol stacks S1 222 a, S2 222 b may be associated with aSIM card (e.g., SIM-1 204 a, SIM-2 204 b) configured with asubscription. For example, the protocol stack S1 222 a and the protocolstack S2 222 b may be associated with the SIM-1 204 a. The illustrationof only two protocol stacks S1 222 a, S2 222 b is not intended as alimitation, and the memory 222 may store more than two protocol stacks(not illustrated).

Each SIM and/or RAT in the wireless communication device 200 (e.g.,SIM-1 204 a, SIM-2 204 b) may be coupled to the modem 230 and may beassociated with or permitted to use a baseband-RF resource chain. Eachbaseband-RF resource chain may include the baseband modem processor 216to perform baseband/modem functions for communicating with/controlling aRAT, and one or more amplifiers and radios, referred to generally hereinas RF resources. In some embodiments, baseband-RF resource chains mayshare a common baseband modem processor 216 (i.e., a single device thatperforms baseband/modem functions for all RATs on the wirelesscommunication device). Alternatively, each baseband-RF resource chainmay include the physically or logically separate baseband processors(e.g., BB1, BB2).

The RF resources 218 a, 218 b may include transceivers associated withone or more RATs and may perform transmit/receive functions for themobile communication device 200 on behalf of their respective RATs. TheRF resources 218 a, 218 b may include separate transmit and receivecircuitry. In some embodiments, the RF resource 218 b may include onlyreceive circuitry. The RF resources 218 a, 218 b may each be coupled toa wireless antenna (e.g., a first wireless antenna 220 a and a secondwireless antenna 220 b). The RF resources 218 a, 218 b may also becoupled to the baseband modem processor 216.

In some embodiments, the general purpose processor 206, memory 214,baseband processor(s) 216, and the RF resources 218 a, 218 b may beincluded in the wireless communication device 200 as a system-on-chip.In some embodiments, the first and second SIMs 204 a, 204 b and theircorresponding interfaces 202 a, 202 b may be external to thesystem-on-chip. Further, various input and output devices may be coupledto components on the system-on-chip, such as interfaces or controllers.Example user input components suitable for use in the mobilecommunication device 200 may include, but are not limited to, a keypad224 and a touchscreen display 226.

In some embodiments, the keypad 224, the touchscreen display 226, themicrophone 212, or a combination thereof may perform the function ofreceiving the request to initiate an outgoing call. For example, thetouchscreen display 226 may receive a selection of a contact from acontact list or receive a telephone number. In another example, eitheror both of the touchscreen display 226 and microphone 212 may performthe function of receiving a request to initiate an outgoing call. Forexample, the touchscreen display 226 may receive selection of a contactfrom a contact list or receive a telephone number. As another example,the request to initiate the outgoing call may be in the form of a voicecommand received via the microphone 212. Interfaces may be providedbetween the various software modules and functions in the wirelesscommunication device 200 to enable communication between them.

Functioning together, the two SIMs 204 a, 204 b, the basebandprocessor(s) 216, RF resources 218 a, 218 b and the antennas 220 a, 220b may enable communications on two or more RATs. For example, one SIM,baseband processor, and RF resource may be configured to support twodifferent RATs. In other embodiments, more RATs may be supported on thewireless communication device 200 by adding more SIM cards, SIMinterfaces, RF resources, and antennas for connecting to additionalmobile networks.

The wireless communication device 200 may include a radio interfacelayer (RIL), which may be a component of a high-level operating system(HLOS) or other software executing on a processor, such as the generalprocessor 206, the baseband processor 216, or another processor of thewireless communication device. The RIL may enable wireless voice or dataapplications to communicate with the modem 230, and may further providea system interface between a HLOS and a radio protocol stack (e.g., S1222 a and S2 222 b). In some embodiments, the RIL may include a RILdriver, which may processes attention (AT) commands and events, and aRIL proxy, which may manage requests from the multiple clients to theRIL driver. For example, the RIL driver may handle system requests forradio functionality, including voice, data, and Short Message Service(SMS). The RIL driver may also provide notifications of changes in aradio state, such as signal coverage, signal strength, and incomingcalls. Interactions between the HLOS and the modem 230 may be handled bythe RIL. For example, the RIL may accept and convert direct servicerequests from the HLOS into commands supported and understood by themodem. In some embodiments, the RIL may provide an abstraction layerthat abstracts specific details of hardware dependent components of thewireless communication device 200.

FIG. 3 illustrates call flows during a conventional termination of anemergency communication session. In operation 302, a high-leveloperating system (HLOS) 350 may send to a radio interface layer (RIL)352 an instruction to initiate an emergency communication session. Forexample, a wireless communication device (e.g., the wirelesscommunication device 102 or 104 of FIG. 1, or the wireless communicationdevice 200 of FIG. 2) may receive an input, such as the digits 9-1-1, orthe depression of a virtual or physical “panic button,” in response towhich the HLOS 350 may send to the RIL 352 the instruction to initiatean emergency communication session. In operation 304, the RIL 352 maysend to a modem 354 of the wireless communication device an instructionto initiate emergency communication session. In operation 306, the modem354 may send to a communication network 356 (e.g., the communicationnetwork 110 of FIG. 1) call request to establish the emergencycommunication session. A network element of the communication network356, such as a controller node (e.g., the controller node 112 of FIG. 1)may allocate resources for and establish a communication session with aprovider of emergency services (e.g., the PSAP 114 of FIG. 1).

In operation 308, the communication network 356 may send to the modem354 an indication that the communication session setup was successful.In operation 310, the modem 354 may send to the RIL 352 an indicationthat the communication session set up was successful, and in operation312, the RIL 352 may send to the HLOS 350 an indication that thecommunication setup was successful. In operation 314, the wirelesscommunication device may conduct the emergency communication session viathe communication network 356.

In operation 316, the HLOS may send to the RIL an instruction toterminate the active emergency communication session. The instruction toterminate the active communication session may result from, for example,the wireless communication device being placed in airplane mode or asimilar mode that may lead to the devices radio being powered down,which may be triggered by one or more of malfunctioning hardware or afault in an application running on the wireless communication device.The instruction to terminate the active communication session may alsoresult from, for example, an instruction to power off the wirelesscommunication device, which may also be triggered by malfunctioninghardware and/or a bug in an application running on the wirelesscommunication device. The instruction to terminate the activecommunication session may also include a call end instruction, which maybe intentionally or unintentionally triggered by user activity (e.g.,accidentally hitting a call end button), or by a hardware or softwarefault.

In operation 318, the RIL 352 may send to the modem 354 a call endmessage. In operation 320, the modem 354 may send to the communicationnetwork 356 a call end message. In operation 322, the controller node ofthe communication network may terminate the active emergencycommunication session, which may include tearing down resourcesallocated within the communication network for the emergencycommunication session. In operation 324, the HLOS may send a radio offmessage to the RIL. In operation 326, the RIL may send to the modem andinstruction to power off the radio, or to enter a low-power mode. Inoperation 328, the modem may send a message to the communication networkto de-register the wireless communication device from the communicationnetwork.

FIG. 4 illustrates call flows 400 in an embodiment method of managingtermination of an active communication session in a wirelesscommunication device. Many of the operations in FIG. 4 are similar tothe like numbered operations described above with reference to FIG. 3.In operation 302, an HLOS 350 may send to a RIL 352 an instruction toinitiate an emergency communication session. In operation 304, the RIL352 may send to a modem 354 of the wireless communication device aninstruction to initiate emergency communication session, and inoperation 306, the modem 354 may send to a communication network 356 acall request to establish the emergency communication session. A networkelement of the communication network 356, such as a controller node(e.g., the controller node 112 of FIG. 1) may allocate resources for andestablish a communication session with a provider of emergency services(e.g., the PSAP 114 of FIG. 1). In operation 308, the communicationnetwork 356 may send to the modem 354 an indication that thecommunication session setup was successful. In operation 310, the modem354 may send to the RIL 352 an indication that the communication sessionset up was successful.

In operation 402, a processor of the wireless communication device (forexample, a processor executing the RIL 352) may store in a memory of thewireless communication device an emergency communication status, such asa value or flag set in a control registered monitored by an operatingsystem. The emergency communication status may indicate that thecommunication session is an emergency communication session. In someembodiments, the processor may determine that the communication sessionis an emergency communication session based on a variety of criteria orconductions. For example, the processor may determine that thecommunication session is an emergency communication session based on thedestination of the communication session (e.g., a PSAP such as the PSAP114 of FIG. 1). In some embodiments, the processor may determine thatthe communication session is an emergency communication session based ona dialed number or a portion of a dialed number. For example, a typicalwireless priority service (WPS) call may include a prefix of “272.” Theprocessor may recognize the prefix “272” as a wireless priority servicecall, and may thus determine that the communication session is anemergency vacation session. Similarly, a call to emergency services inthe U.S. may be made with the number “911”, which the processor mayrecognize is a call to emergency services, and thus may determine thatthe communication session is an emergency communication session.

The processor may also determine that the communication session is anemergency communication session based on an input received by thewireless communication device from a user. For example, when initiatingan outgoing communication session (e.g., a voice call), a user may pressone or more physical or virtual buttons to indicate that thecommunication session is an emergency vacation session.

The processor may also determine the communication session is anemergency communication session based on rules provided to the wirelesscommunication device. For example, a user may configure the wirelesscommunication device with a rule stating that a call placed to aspecified contact (i.e., a phone number stored in a memory of thewireless communication device) after a certain time of day shall beconsidered an emergency communication session (for example, a phone callplaced to the user's parents after midnight). As another example, theuser may configure the wireless communication device with a rule statingthat a call placed to a phone number of the user's office duringbusiness hours, Monday through Friday, shall be considered an emergencycommunication session. Other rules are also possible.

As another example, a communication session conducted with a contactstored on the wireless communication device that is designated asimportant, e.g., in a memory of the wireless communication device, andthe processor of the wireless communication device may determine thatthe communication session meets the threshold level of importance basedon the designation of the stored contact as important.

In some embodiments, the processor may determine that the communicationsession meets a threshold level of importance, and thus thecommunication session is an emergency communication session. Theprocessor may determine the threshold level of importance based on, forexample, one or more of a phone number or portion of a phone numberdialed to initiate the communication session, whether a portion of thedialed phone number matches a contact stored on the wirelesscommunication device, and whether the wireless communication device hasreceived an input from a user designating the communication session isan important communication session. The processor may also considerother factors to determine threshold level of importance.

In operation 312, the RIL 352 may send to the HLOS 350 an indicationthat the communication setup was successful. In operation 314, thewireless communication device may conduct the emergency communicationsession via the communication network 356.

In operation 404, the HLOS may send to the RIL an instruction toterminate the active emergency communication session. For example, theinstruction to terminate the active communication session may resultfrom the wireless communication device being placed in airplane mode ora similar mode that may lead to the devices radio being powered down,which may be triggered by one or more of malfunctioning hardware or afault in an application running on the wireless communication device. Asanother example, the instruction to terminate the active communicationsession may also result from an instruction to power off the wirelesscommunication device, which may also be triggered by malfunctioninghardware and/or a bug in an application running on the wirelesscommunication device. The instruction to terminate the activecommunication session may also include a call end instruction, which maybe intentionally or unintentionally triggered by user activity (e.g.,accidentally hitting a call end button), or by a hardware or softwarefault.

In operation 406, the processor of the wireless communication sessionmay determine that the emergency communication status of the wirelesscommunication device indicates that the communication session should notbe terminated. In operation 408, the RIL may return an indication to theHLOS that the communication session may be terminated, based on theemergency communication status. In operation 410, the wirelesscommunication device may continue to conduct the emergency communicationsession.

In operation 412, the processor of the wireless communication device mayperiodically check to determine whether the emergency communicationsession has ended. In response to determining that the emergencycommunication session has not ended, in operation 412 the wirelesscommunication device may continue to conduct the emergency communicationsession.

After the emergency communication session has ended, the HLOS may sendto the RIL an instruction to terminate the active emergencycommunication session in operation 316. In operation 318, the RIL 352may send to the modem 354 a call end message. In operation 320, themodem 354 may send to the communication network 356 a call end message.In operation 322, the controller node of the communication network mayterminate the active emergency communication session, which may includetearing down resources allocated within the communication network forthe emergency communication session. In operation 324, the HLOS may senda radio off message to the RIL. In operation 326, the RIL may send tothe modem and instruction to power off the radio, or to enter alow-power mode. In operation 328, the modem may send a message to thecommunication network to de-register the wireless communication devicefrom the communication network.

FIG. 5 is a process flow diagram illustrating an embodiment method 500of managing termination of an active communication session in a wirelesscommunication device. The method 500 may be implemented by a processorof a wireless communication device (e.g., the general processor 206 orthe baseband processor 216 of FIG. 2, or by another similar processor).

In determination block 502, a processor of a wireless communicationdevice may determine whether an active (or requested) communicationsession is an emergency communication session. In response todetermining that the communication session is not an emergencycommunication session (i.e., determination block 502=“No”), theprocessor of the wireless communication device may periodicallyre-determine whether a communication session is an emergencycommunication session.

In response to determining that the communication session is anemergency communication session (i.e., determination block 502=“Yes”),in block 504, the device processor may store an emergency communicationstatus in a memory of the wireless communication device. In variousembodiments, the emergency communication status may indicate that thecommunication session includes an emergency communication session.

In some embodiments, the operations in determination block 502 and inblock 504 may be performed by the processor as a separate method orfunctionality that sets an emergency communication status in a memorywhen an emergency communication session is initiated and clears thestatus when the emergency communication session ends.

At any time (i.e., not necessarily after block 504), the deviceprocessor may receive an instruction to terminate the communicationsession in block 506. For example, an HLOS (e.g., the HLOS 350 of FIGS.3 and 4) may send to a RIL (e.g., the RIL 352 of FIGS. 3 and 4) aninstruction to terminate the active communication session. As notedabove, the instruction to terminate the active communication session mayunintentionally result from, for example, the wireless communicationdevice being placed in airplane mode or a similar mode that may lead tothe devices radio being powered down, or from, for example, aninstruction to power off the wireless communication device, which mayalso be triggered by malfunctioning hardware and/or a bug in anapplication running on the wireless communication device. Theinstruction to terminate the active communication session may alsoinclude a call end instruction, which may be intentionally orunintentionally triggered by user activity (e.g., accidentally hitting acall end button), or by a hardware or software fault.

In determination block 508, the device processor may determine whetherthe emergency communication status of the wireless communication deviceindicates that communication session should not be terminated. Inresponse to determining that the emergency communication status does notindicate that the communication session should not be terminated (i.e.,determination block 508=“No”), the device processor may permittermination of the communication session in block 518.

In response to determining that the emergency communication status doesindicate that the communication session should not be terminated (i.e.,determination block 508=“Yes”), the device processor may block theinstruction to terminate the communication session in block 510.

In determination block 512, the device processor may periodicallydetermine whether the emergency communication session has ended. Inresponse to determining that the emergency communication session has notended (i.e., determination block 512=“No”), the device processor maycontinue to block the instruction to terminate the communication sessionin block 510.

In response to determining that the emergency communication session hasended (i.e., determination block 512=“Yes”), the device processor mayupdate the emergency communication status in the memory of the wirelesscommunication device in block 514. For example, the processor may updatethe emergency communication status to indicate that there is no activeemergency communication session, or that another active call session isnot an emergency call. In block 516, the device processor may permit orcontinue normal wireless communication device operation.

FIG. 6 is a process flow diagram illustrating an embodiment method 600of managing termination of an active communication session in a wirelesscommunication device. The method 600 may be implemented by a processorof a wireless communication device (e.g., the general processor 206 orthe baseband processor 216 of FIG. 2, or by another similar processor).

Similar to the method 500, a processor of a wireless communicationdevice may determine whether an active (or requested) communicationsession is an emergency communication session in determination block502. In response to determining that the communication session is not anemergency communication session (i.e., determination block 502=“No”),the processor of the wireless communication device may periodicallyre-determine whether a communication session is an emergencycommunication session. In response to determining that the communicationsession is an emergency communication session (i.e., determination block502=“Yes”), the device processor may store an emergency communicationstatus in a memory of the wireless communication device. In variousembodiments, the emergency communication status may indicate that thecommunication session includes an emergency communication session inblock 504. As described above, the operations in determination block 502and in block 504 may be performed by the processor as a separate methodor functionality independent of other operations in the method 600.

At any time (i.e., not necessarily after block 504), the deviceprocessor may receive an instruction to power down the wirelesscommunication device in block 602. The instruction to power down (orpower off) the wireless communication device may unintentionally betriggered by malfunctioning hardware and/or a fault in an applicationrunning on the wireless communication device. The instruction toterminate the active communication session may also be unintentionallytriggered by user activity (e.g., accidentally hitting a power offbutton).

In determination block 508, the device processor may determine whetherthe emergency communication status of the wireless communication deviceindicates that communication session should not be terminated. Inresponse to determining that the emergency communication status does notindicate that the communication session should not be terminated (i.e.,determination block 508=“No”), the device processor may permit the powerdown of the wireless communication device in block 608.

In response to determining that the emergency communication status doesindicate that the communication session should not be terminated (i.e.,determination block 508=“Yes”), the device processor may block theinstruction to power down the wireless communication device in block604.

In determination block 512, the device processor may periodicallydetermine whether the emergency communication session has ended. Inresponse to determining that the emergency communication session has notended (i.e., determination block 512=“No”), the device processor maycontinue to block the instruction to terminate the communication sessionin block 510.

In response to determining that the emergency communication session hasended (i.e., determination block 512=“Yes”), the device processor mayupdate the emergency communication status in the memory of the wirelesscommunication device in block 514. For example, the processor may updatethe emergency communication status to indicate that there is no activeemergency communication session, or that another active call session isnot an emergency call.

In determination block 606, the device processor may determine whetherthe instruction to power down the wireless communication device is stillvalid. For example, in the case where the instruction to power down thewireless device is received from faulty hardware or software, theinstruction may be transient, or the device processor may determine byanother indication that the instruction to power down the wirelessdevice is not valid. In response to determining that the instruction topower down the wireless connection device is not still valid (i.e.,determination block 606=“No”), the device processor may permit orcontinue normal wireless communication device operation in block 516.

In response to determining that the instruction to power down thewireless connection device is still valid (i.e., determination block606=“Yes”), the device processor may permit the power down of thewireless communication device in block 608 (i.e., the device processormay not block the still-valid instruction to power down the wirelesscommunication device).

FIG. 7 is a process flow diagram illustrating an embodiment method 700of managing termination of an active communication session in a wirelesscommunication device. The method 700 may be implemented by a processorof a wireless communication device (e.g., the general processor 206 orthe baseband processor 216 of FIG. 2, or by another similar processor).

Similar to the method 500, a processor of a wireless communicationdevice may determine whether an active (or requested) communicationsession is an emergency communication session in determination block502. In response to determining that the communication session is not anemergency communication session (i.e., determination block 502=“No”),the processor of the wireless communication device may periodicallyre-determine whether a communication session is an emergencycommunication session. In response to determining that the communicationsession is an emergency communication session (i.e., determination block502=“Yes”), the device processor may store an emergency communicationstatus in a memory of the wireless communication device in block 504. Invarious embodiments, the emergency communication status may indicatethat the communication session includes an emergency communicationsession. As described above, the operations in determination block 502and in block 504 may be performed by the processor as a separate methodor functionality independent of other operations in the method 600.

At any time (i.e., not necessarily after block 504), the deviceprocessor may receive an instruction to deactivate a radio of thewireless communication device in block 702. The instruction todeactivate the radio (i.e., power down, power off, set to an idle mode,or similarly block the radio from transmitting) may be triggeredunintentionally by malfunctioning hardware and/or a fault in anapplication running on the wireless communication device. Theinstruction to terminate the active communication session may also beunintentionally triggered by user activity (e.g., placing the wirelessdevice in an airplane mode or otherwise triggering an instruction todeactivate the radio of the wireless communication device).

In determination block 508, the device processor may determine whetherthe emergency communication status of the wireless communication deviceindicates that the communication session should not be terminated. Inresponse to determining that the emergency communication status does notindicate that the communication session should not be terminated (i.e.,determination block 508=“No”), the device processor may permit the powerdown of the wireless communication device in block 608.

In response to determining that the emergency communication status doesindicate that the communication session should not be terminated (i.e.,determination block 508=“Yes”), the device processor may block theinstruction to deactivate the radio of the wireless communication devicein block 704.

In determination block 512, the device processor may periodicallydetermine whether the emergency communication session has ended. Inresponse to determining that the emergency communication session has notended (i.e., determination block 512=“No”), the device processor maycontinue to block the instruction to terminate the communication sessionin block 510.

In response to determining that the emergency communication session hasended (i.e., determination block 512=“Yes”), the device processor mayupdate the emergency communication status in the memory of the wirelesscommunication device in block 514. For example, the processor may updatethe emergency communication status to indicate that there is no activeemergency communication session, or that another active call session isnot an emergency call.

In determination block 706, the device processor may determine whetherthe instruction to deactivate the radio of the wireless communicationdevice is still valid. For example, in the case where the instruction topower down the wireless device is received from faulty hardware orsoftware, the instruction may be transient, or the device processor maydetermine by another indication that the instruction to power down thewireless device is not valid. However, in some cases the instruction todeactivate the radio of the wireless communication device may still bevalid, such as when a user in fact desires to place the wirelesscommunication device in an airplane mode. In response to determiningthat the instruction to deactivate the radio of the wireless connectiondevice is not still valid (i.e., determination block 706=“No”), thedevice processor may permit or continue normal wireless communicationdevice operations in block 516.

In response to determining that the instruction to deactivate the radioof the wireless connection device is still valid (i.e., determinationblock 706=“Yes”), the device processor may permit the deactivation ofthe radio of the wireless communication device in block 708 (i.e., thedevice processor may not block the still-valid instruction to deactivatethe radio of the wireless communication device).

Various embodiments (including, but not limited to, embodimentsdiscussed above with reference to FIGS. 4-7) may be implemented in anyof a variety of mobile communication devices, an example of which (e.g.,wireless communication device 800) is illustrated in FIG. 7. In variousembodiments, the wireless communication device 800 (which maycorrespond, for example, to the wireless communication devices 102, 104,and 200 in FIGS. 1-2) may include a processor 802 coupled to atouchscreen controller 804 and an internal memory 806. The processor 802may be one or more multi-core integrated circuits designated for generalor specific processing tasks. The internal memory 806 may be volatile ornon-volatile memory, and may also be secure and/or encrypted memory, orunsecure and/or unencrypted memory, or any combination thereof. Thetouchscreen controller 804 and the processor 802 may also be coupled toa touchscreen panel 812, such as a resistive-sensing touchscreen,capacitive-sensing touchscreen, infrared sensing touchscreen, etc.Additionally, the display of the mobile communication device 800 neednot have touch screen capability.

The mobile communication device 800 may have two or more radio signaltransceivers 808 (e.g., Peanut, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, RF radio) andantennae 810, for sending and receiving communications, coupled to eachother and/or to the processor 802. The transceivers 808 and antennae 810may be used with the above-mentioned circuitry to implement the variouswireless transmission protocol stacks and interfaces. The mobilecommunication device 800 may include one or more cellular networkwireless modem chip(s) 816 coupled to the processor and antennae 810that enables communication via two or more cellular networks via two ormore radio access technologies.

The mobile communication device 800 may include a peripheral deviceconnection interface 818 coupled to the processor 802. The peripheraldevice connection interface 818 may be singularly configured to acceptone type of connection, or may be configured to accept various types ofphysical and communication connections, common or proprietary, such asUSB, FireWire, Thunderbolt, or PCIe. The peripheral device connectioninterface 818 may also be coupled to a similarly configured peripheraldevice connection port (not shown).

The mobile communication device 800 may also include speakers 814 forproviding audio outputs. The mobile communication device 800 may alsoinclude a housing 820, constructed of a plastic, metal, or a combinationof materials, for containing all or some of the components discussedherein. The wireless communication device 800 may include a power source822 coupled to the processor 802, such as a disposable or rechargeablebattery. The rechargeable battery may also be coupled to the peripheraldevice connection port to receive a charging current from a sourceexternal to the wireless communication device 800. The wirelesscommunication device 800 may also include a physical button 824 forreceiving user inputs. The wireless communication device 800 may alsoinclude a power button 826 for turning the wireless communication device800 on and off.

The processor 802 may be any programmable microprocessor, microcomputeror multiple processor chip or chips that can be configured by softwareinstructions (applications) to perform a variety of functions, includingthe functions of various embodiments described below. In some wirelesscommunication devices, multiple processors 802 may be provided, such asone processor dedicated to wireless communication functions and oneprocessor dedicated to running other applications. Typically, softwareapplications may be stored in the internal memory 806 before they areaccessed and loaded into the processor 802. The processor 802 mayinclude internal memory sufficient to store the application softwareinstructions.

Various embodiments may be implemented in any number of single ormulti-processor systems. Generally, processes are executed on aprocessor in short time slices so that it appears that multipleprocesses are running simultaneously on a single processor. When aprocess is removed from a processor at the end of a time slice,information pertaining to the current operating state of the process isstored in memory so the process may seamlessly resume its operationswhen it returns to execution on the processor. This operational statedata may include the process's address space, stack space, virtualaddress space, register set image (e.g., program counter, stack pointer,instruction register, program status word, etc.), accountinginformation, permissions, access restrictions, and state information.

A process may spawn other processes, and the spawned process (i.e., achild process) may inherit some of the permissions and accessrestrictions (i.e., context) of the spawning process (i.e., the parentprocess). A process may be a heavy-weight process that includes multiplelightweight processes or threads, which are processes that share all orportions of their context (e.g., address space, stack, permissions,and/or access restrictions, etc.) with other processes/threads. Thus, asingle process may include multiple lightweight processes or threadsthat share, have access to, and/or operate within a single context(i.e., the processor's context).

The foregoing method descriptions and the process flow diagrams areprovided merely as illustrative examples and are not intended to requireor imply that the blocks of various embodiments must be performed in theorder presented. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art theorder of blocks in the foregoing embodiments may be performed in anyorder. Words such as “thereafter,” “then,” “next,” etc. are not intendedto limit the order of the blocks; these words are simply used to guidethe reader through the description of the methods. Further, anyreference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using thearticles “a,” “an” or “the” is not to be construed as limiting theelement to the singular.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, andalgorithm blocks described in connection with the embodiments disclosedherein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, orcombinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability ofhardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules,circuits, and blocks have been described above generally in terms oftheir functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented ashardware or software depends upon the particular application and designconstraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans mayimplement the described functionality in varying ways for eachparticular application, but such implementation decisions should not beinterpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the variousembodiments.

The hardware used to implement the various illustrative logics, logicalblocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with theembodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with ageneral purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmablegate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate ortransistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combinationthereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Ageneral-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but, in thealternative, the processor may be any conventional processor,controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also beimplemented as a combination of communication devices, e.g., acombination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality ofmicroprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSPcore, or any other such configuration. Alternatively, some blocks ormethods may be performed by circuitry that is specific to a givenfunction.

In various embodiments, the functions described may be implemented inhardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implementedin software, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions orcode on a non-transitory computer-readable medium or non-transitoryprocessor-readable medium. The operations of a method or algorithmdisclosed herein may be embodied in a processor-executable softwaremodule, which may reside on a non-transitory computer-readable orprocessor-readable storage medium. Non-transitory computer-readable orprocessor-readable storage media may be any storage media that may beaccessed by a computer or a processor. By way of example but notlimitation, such non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readablemedia may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, FLASH memory, CD-ROM or otheroptical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storagedevices, or any other medium that may be used to store desired programcode in the form of instructions or data structures and that may beaccessed by a computer. Disk and disc, as used herein, includes compactdisc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD),floppy disk, and blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce datamagnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers.Combinations of the above are also included within the scope ofnon-transitory computer-readable and processor-readable media.Additionally, the operations of a method or algorithm may reside as oneor any combination or set of codes and/or instructions on anon-transitory processor-readable medium and/or computer-readablemedium, which may be incorporated into a computer program product.

The preceding description of the disclosed embodiments is provided toenable any person skilled in the art to make or use the presentembodiments. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles definedherein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from thespirit or scope of the embodiments. Thus, the various embodiments arenot intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but are to beaccorded the widest scope consistent with the following claims and theprinciples and novel features disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of managing termination of an activecommunication session in a wireless communication device, comprising:determining, by a processor of the wireless communication device,whether a communication session in progress is an emergencycommunication session; storing, in a memory of the wirelesscommunication device, an indicator comprising an emergency communicationstatus indicating that the communication session should not beterminated in response to determining that the communication session isan emergency communication session; receiving, by the processor, aninstruction that causes a termination of the communication session;determining, by the processor, whether the communication session inprogress should not be terminated based on the stored indicator;blocking, by the processor, the instruction to terminate thecommunication session in response to determining that the communicationsession should not be terminated; updating the emergency communicationstatus in response to determining that there is no active emergencycommunication session; determining, by the processor, whether theinstruction to terminate the communication session is still valid;continuing, by the processor, normal operations of the wirelesscommunication device in response to determining that the instruction toterminate the communication session is not still valid; and permitting,by the processor, the instruction to terminate the communication sessionin response to determining that the instruction to terminate thecommunication session is still valid.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: determining, by the processor, that the communicationsession has ended; and updating, by the processor, the emergencycommunication status in the memory.
 3. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising permitting the instruction to terminate the communicationsession in response to determining that the emergency communicationstatus of the wireless device indicates that the communication sessionmay be terminated.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction toterminate the communication session comprises an instruction to powerdown the wireless communication device.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein blocking, by the processor, the instruction to terminate thecommunication session comprises blocking the instruction to power downthe wireless communication device.
 6. The method of claim 5, furthercomprising: updating, by the processor, the emergency communicationstatus in the memory in response to the communication session ending;and wherein permitting, by the processor, the instruction to terminatethe communication session comprises permitting the instruction to powerdown the wireless communication device.
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein the instruction to terminate the communication session comprisesan instruction to deactivate a radio of the wireless communicationdevice.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein blocking, by the processor,the instruction to terminate the communication session comprisesblocking the instruction to deactivate the radio of the wirelesscommunication device.
 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:updating, by the processor, the emergency communication status in thememory in response to the communication session ending; and whereinpermitting, by the processor, the instruction to terminate thecommunication session comprises permitting the instruction to deactivatethe radio of the wireless communication device.
 10. A wirelesscommunication device, comprising: a processor configured withprocessor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:determining whether an emergency communication session is in progress;storing, in a memory of the wireless communication device, an indicatorcomprising an emergency communication status indicating that theemergency communication session should not be terminated in response todetermining that an emergency communication session is in progress;receiving an instruction that causes a termination of the communicationsession; determining whether the communication session in progressshould not be terminated based on the stored indicator; blocking theinstruction to terminate the communication session in response todetermining that the communication session should not be terminated;updating the emergency communication status in response to determiningthat there is no active emergency communication session; determiningwhether the instruction to terminate the communication session is stillvalid; continuing normal operations of the wireless communication devicein response to determining that the instruction to terminate thecommunication session is not still valid; and permitting the instructionto terminate the communication session in response to determining thatthe instruction to terminate the communication session is still valid.11. The wireless communication device of claim 10, wherein the processoris configured with processor-executable instructions to performoperations further comprising: determining that the communicationsession has ended; and updating the emergency communication status inthe memory.
 12. The wireless communication device of claim 10, whereinthe processor is configured with processor-executable instructions toperform operations further comprising permitting the instruction toterminate the communication session in response to determining that theemergency communication status of the wireless device indicates that thecommunication session may be terminated.
 13. The wireless communicationdevice of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured withprocessor-executable instructions to perform operations such that theinstruction to terminate the communication session comprises aninstruction to power down the wireless communication device.
 14. Thewireless communication device of claim 10, wherein the processor isconfigured with processor-executable instructions to perform operationssuch that blocking the instruction to terminate the communicationsession comprises blocking the instruction to power down the wirelesscommunication device.
 15. The wireless communication device of claim 14,the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions toperform operations further comprising: updating the emergencycommunication status in the memory in response to the communicationsession ending; and wherein permitting the instruction to terminate thecommunication session comprises permitting the instruction to power downthe wireless communication device.
 16. The wireless communication deviceof claim 10, wherein the processor is configured withprocessor-executable instructions to perform operations such that theinstruction to terminate the communication session comprises aninstruction to deactivate a radio of the wireless communication device.17. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the processoris configured with processor-executable instructions to performoperations such that blocking the instruction to terminate thecommunication session comprises blocking the instruction to deactivatethe radio of the wireless communication device.
 18. The wirelesscommunication device of claim 17, wherein the processor is configuredwith processor-executable instructions to perform operations furthercomprising: updating the emergency communication status in the memory inresponse to the communication session ending; and wherein permitting theinstruction to terminate the communication session comprises permittingthe instruction to deactivate the radio of the wireless communicationdevice.
 19. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium havingstored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured tocause a processor to perform operations for managing termination of anactive communication session in a wireless communication device,comprising: determining whether a communication session in progress isan emergency communication session; storing, in a memory of the wirelesscommunication device, an indicator comprising an emergency communicationstatus indicating that the communication session should not beterminated in response to determining that the communication session isan emergency communication session; receiving an instruction that causesa termination of the communication session; determining whether thecommunication session in progress should not be terminated based on thestored indicator; blocking the instruction to terminate thecommunication session in response to determining that the communicationsession should not be terminated; updating the emergency communicationstatus in response to determining that there is no active emergencycommunication session; determining, by the processor, whether theinstruction to terminate the communication session is still valid;continuing, by the processor, normal operations of the wirelesscommunication device in response to determining that the instruction toterminate the communication session is not still valid; and permitting,by the processor, the instruction to terminate the communication sessionin response to determining that the instruction to terminate thecommunication session is still valid.
 20. The non-transitoryprocessor-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the storedprocessor-executable software instructions are configured to cause aprocessor to perform operations further comprising: determining that thecommunication session has ended; and updating the emergencycommunication status in the memory.
 21. The non-transitoryprocessor-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the storedprocessor-executable software instructions are configured to cause aprocessor to perform operations further comprising permitting theinstruction to terminate the communication session in response todetermining that the emergency communication status of the wirelessdevice indicates that the communication session may be terminated. 22.The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 19,wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions areconfigured to cause a processor to perform operations such that theinstruction to terminate the communication session comprises aninstruction to power down the wireless communication device.
 23. Thenon-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 19, whereinthe processor is configured with processor-executable instructions toperform operations such that blocking the instruction to terminate thecommunication session comprises blocking the instruction to power downthe wireless communication device.
 24. The non-transitoryprocessor-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the processor isconfigured with processor-executable instructions to perform operationsfurther comprising: updating the emergency communication status in thememory in response to the communication session ending; and whereinpermitting the instruction to terminate the communication sessioncomprises permitting the instruction to power down the wirelesscommunication device.
 25. The non-transitory processor-readable storagemedium of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured withprocessor-executable instructions to perform operations such that theinstruction to terminate the communication session comprises aninstruction to deactivate a radio of the wireless communication device.26. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 25,wherein the processor is configured with processor-executableinstructions to perform operations such that blocking the instruction toterminate the communication session comprises blocking the instructionto deactivate the radio of the wireless communication device.
 27. Awireless communication device, comprising: means for determining whethera communication session in progress is an emergency communicationsession; means for storing an indicator comprising an emergencycommunication status indicating that the communication session shouldnot be terminated in response to determining that the communicationsession is an emergency communication session; means for receiving aninstruction that causes a termination of the communication session;means for determining whether the communication session in progressshould not be terminated based on the stored indicator; means forblocking the instruction to terminate the communication session inresponse to determining that the communication session should not beterminated; means for updating the emergency communication status inresponse to determining that there is no active emergency communicationsession; means for determining whether the instruction to terminate thecommunication session is still valid; means for continuing normaloperations of the wireless communication device in response todetermining that the instruction to terminate the communication sessionis not still valid; and means for permitting the instruction toterminate the communication session in response to determining that theinstruction to terminate the communication session is still valid.